Women’s 2s 5 – 1 Wimbledon 5s
Following a good win the previous week the ladies 2’s were hungry for more. A good warm up and with high energy we started the first half dominating possession. Our forwards of Molly, Amelie and Sophie making plenty of leads staying high and pressing the Wimbledon defence aggressively, linking with our midfield of Rosie Nikki, Jax. With shots a plenty we just weren’t quite clinical enough….yet. Our backs, Rebekah, Jess, Lea and Honor held strong in the occasional Wimbledon attack but, were cool and collected, regaining possession and distributing wide and back up the pitch. With fresh legs of Grace, Pricey, Charlie and Lily we continue to make runs, work in triangles but not quite managing to capitalise. Our break came shortly before half time with a short corner routine not quite gone to plan but slipped right from Sophie finding space for Jax to fire in, taking us to a well deserved 1-0 lead at half time.
We were well aware, although very much dominating the game, we needed to score more goals to secure the win. Some quick passing from Molly to Jax just minutes into the second half saw Jax drive into the D and secure our 2nd goal. 10 minutes later another Ad-libbed short corner routine with Lea slapping the ball across the goal for Jax to coax in for the hat trick. We were still hungry for more and continued to cause havoc the next goal from Pricey with a cheeky base line run and finding space to slot past the keeper. 4-0.
Wimbledon continued to work hard to get back in the game with a spell of momentum and pressure eventually causing us to slip up and nabbing them a goal back to make it 4-1 . Until this point Jasmine had had little to do in goal bar clearing a ball from the edge of the D and back line which had looked as if it was going off but was caught by the Wimbledon forwards. When she had been required, she looked confident, assertive and collected as ever.
Disappointed we had conceded and determined to score more, our final goal came following a strike on goal from Pricey rebounding off the keeper to the p-spot to Sophie, clinically hammering it into the bottom right corner. Final score 5-1
It was a wonderful team effort, every player giving their all working positively and supportively to secure the win. Huge thanks to Redders for running the subs allowing the team to focus on the game.
Barnstormers 2 – 2 Spencer
The match between The Barnstormers and Spencer ended in a tense 2-2 draw under sunny skies.
The Barnstormers initially took the lead with a goal from Yongey, making it 1-0. Spencer equalized shortly after, bringing the score to 1-1. The Barnstormers regained the lead with Paddy’s goal, but Spencer leveled again at 2-2.
Despite numerous chances, the Barnstormers struggled to convert opportunities into goals, leading to frustration among players and fans. A special mention goes to Toby S for his inventive flick, and thanks to Rob and Rosco for their umpiring efforts.
The opening goal came courtesy of Freya, whose powerful strike was neatly touched in by Poppy, giving OC an early lead. Not long after, Carolina extended the lead with a clinical finish, putting OC in a commanding position. However, Sunbury responded with a goal from a well-executed penalty corner strike, narrowing the gap.
L5s continued to dominate the attack, but Sunbury’s counter-attacks tested the defence, with Michele making several brilliant saves to keep L5s ahead. Midway through the second half, Poppy scored an expertly worked goal, capping off an impressive offensive display. Despite Sunbury pulling one more goal back late in the game, L5s held on for the win.
Freya and Lucy were jointly awarded Player of the Match for their outstanding performances.
Match report by Paula Dormer
Ladies 7s 0 – 3 Ladies 6s
This week the Ladies 7s met with the Ladies 6s, and we were ready to hit the ground running with a strong squad of 15. Two new colts, Jasmine and Ella, joined us for their debut, both full of enthusiasm and confidence, eager to contribute to the team.
Freya, our goalkeeper, showed up with a newfound confidence, communicating more loudly and effectively to organise her defenders. It was great to see her step up in that way!
We started off positively with Nadia and Kim leading the attack. Nadia was relentless, battling for the ball at every opportunity, making some fantastic challenges and really taking the game to the opposition. Isa tried her hand at a new position in midfield, showing great determination to adapt and figure out the nuances of where to be during play. Liz started strong in midfield but unfortunately had to come off after just 10 minutes due to a muscle injury. Despite this setback, she was a fantastic support from the sidelines for the remainder of the match.
Jasmine, who began as a substitute, stood with me, providing some insightful observations about the game. Her awareness and confidence were impressive, and she wasn’t shy about pointing out areas we could improve on—keep that up, Jasmine! Meanwhile, Ella made an immediate impact in midfield, covering ground like a whirlwind, always in the thick of the action.
India made her debut for the 7s, and what a debut it was! She was solid in defence, playing a key role in keeping the opposition at bay. Inga also had an outstanding performance, tirelessly defending the D, and Pam was equally pivotal, organizing the defence and ensuring everyone was in the right place.
Though the game ended in a 3-0 loss, the team’s spirit was unwavering. Heads never dropped, and we fought right up to the final whistle. There’s plenty to build on, and with the determination shown today, we’re in for a great season ahead!
Well done to Darcie on the 6s, who scored her first league goal for OCs! We’re looking forward to seeing more goals from you this season.
Men’s 2s 3 – 0 Bromley & Beckenham 2s
OCs hosted Bromley and Beckenham M2s looking to build on their strong start to the season away to Croydon Trinity Whitgiftians last week.
With a strong side on paper the M2s captain, Charlie ‘Iron-Fist’ Lamb, set the tone for the day with an inspirational team talk to get the lads fired up for pushback. This only added to the heroic actions, making himself available, of new signing Will Phil, only 24hours prior having major surgery to remove a wisdom tooth.
The game started well with free-flowing play from both sides and early signs there were going to be some goal scoring chances on offer. OCs were building momentum in the game and creating plenty of opportunities. However, it took almost the entire half before the deadlock was broken by what can only be described as ‘a pea-roller’. Patient transferring of the ball around the back and into the midfield led to a ball into the D rising off a defender’s stick causing dangerous play. A straight push from top-D found it’s way into the goal off the defenders foot, delivered by The IRONMAN! 1-0 OCs at HT.
After the break OCs came out firing and worked hard to put the opposition under pressure. A well worked full-press caught a Bromley midfielder off guard with a perfected shave tackle from Charlie Lamb. Then linked up with Will Fox and he returned the favour for Charlie to finish off with a diving shot into the bottom corner. Doubling the scoreline, 2-0 OCs. The rest of the second half continued with OCs dominating much of the other possession and plentiful chances to increase their lead. With 5 mins to go until the final whistle, a well worked passage of play led to wing-back Lawson open down the right flank feeding Tommy ‘Cash’ Roberts to win a short corner. This time IRONMAN, lived up to the hype and rattled the backboard with a strong flick into the bottom left corner. The game finished 3-0 and a well-deserved clean sheet for Josh Doble. The perfect response to the harsh ridicule from the critics following last week’s game.
OCs come away from gameweek 2 with 6 points from 6 on offer. A great start for a side who were only promoted into the league this season. They travel scarily close to the M25 for GK Josh Dough-ball and take on Old Merchant Taylors to continue the 2024/25 season.
MoM – Jake Crumby
DoD – Will Phillips
Champagne Moment – Charlie Lamb
Ladies 6s 3 – 0 Ladies 7s
Saturday that showcased both talent and teamwork from both sides. With both teams filled
with determination, the match lived up to the hype of being a true battle of the OCs.
The match started at a speedy pace with the Ladies 3s striking early. Within minutes they
had found the back of the net twice making the score 2-0. Despite the score, we showed
resilience and determination, starting to really work together as a team, and creating some
good opportunities to score.
After half time, we came out with a renewed determination, as our defence tightened
significantly with goalie Hannah delivering a series of outstanding saves that kept the 3s
from scoring at all in the 2 nd half! As the half progressed, we found our rhythm, building
confidence with each passing minute. This perseverance finally paid off when we broke
through the 3s defence with Alice scoring a well-deserved goal, making the final score 2-1 to
the 3s.
Our performance in the second half was commendable, highlighting our fighting spirit and
teamwork. Despite not getting that all important equaliser, we left with our heads held high,
after a very enjoyable and fun game!
Puritans 6 – 1 Spencer
Following last week’s decidedly one sided game v Surbiton we welcomed Spencer to Oaken Lane with the bitter reminder that we had lost 5 – 0 to them last March at the same venue on their way to finishing second behind BromBecks.
Both sides were missing some players but as the game wore on it became evident that Spencer were missing their absentees more than us.
3-0 at half time became 6-1 by the end of the match expertly whistled by CB and Wade to whom we were very grateful.
Goals from Derek Price 2, John Marnitz 2, Andy McLeod and Rob Leach put us 6 up before some super individual skill from Max Jason set up a tap in for Spencer and thwarting us of a clean sheet. Harsh on Simon Shelly in goal who had made a number of good saves from the few chances that Spencer eked out.
Our men of the match were Davide Burles and David Garford-Bes who both played the best games I have seen them play.
BromBecks this Saturday in what could me our most difficult game of the whole season.